Dustin Eide

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Become a recognized expert in your field with these effective thought leadership strategies. As an entrepreneur or business leader, building influence in your chosen niche can cement your status as a credible industry thought leader. Being influential requires strategic actions that establish your expertise and encourage relationships with key players in your field. To help you do this, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their top recommended strategies for elevating your influence within your industry. These strategies can make all the difference when you are trying to establish your reputation as a sought-after and respected expert.

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The support and experience of others may just be the solution you need. Success is often not a straight line; it’s full of ups, downs and plenty of surprises. In entrepreneurship, the path to success comes with obstacles you’ll need to overcome if you want to continue on. Many entrepreneurs share similar obstacles, and some may be more unique to specific situations or people. However, when all is said and done, it’s the way an entrepreneur solves each problem that can serve as a guide for others to solve their own. Below, 11 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council each share one major struggle they've faced as an entrepreneur, the steps they took to overcome it and how other entrepreneurs might learn from their journey. 

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If you're not part of it, you might not realize cannabis is one of the most innovative spaces right now.

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Here are a few ways to track success you may not have thought of. When it comes to meeting your customers where they are, getting on social media is likely a good place to start. But while more and more customers are shifting their browsing and shopping habits to social media, tracking the effectiveness and ROI of a social media campaign can be tricky. Attempting to determine how much money was made from “likes” or “comments” isn’t as straightforward as other forms of marketing, and this can be a major struggle for social media teams trying to prove their success.  However, money made isn’t the only way to define “success,” and there are other goals or milestones that may indicate customers are getting value from what you’re offering. If you’re struggling to find a return on one of your social media campaigns, consider tracking one of the following metrics, as suggested by the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council. These key performance indicators may help you see your campaign in a whole new light.

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The key is to focus on your cause and not your business. Whether it’s donating to a cause, giving their time and resources to those in need or partnering with a nonprofit organization, there are many ways for businesses to get involved in philanthropy. But while the main motivation behind doing good in their community may not have anything to do with scaling their business, telling stories of impact and philanthropy can be a great strategy for boosting business growth.  The trick lies in how to tell these stories thoughtfully and sensitively in a way that will resonate with consumers across the board. As business leaders and master storytellers themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council have a few tips for getting it right. Below, they offer up their best advice for telling compelling stories of impact that will lead to enhanced growth.

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Here's how to strategically create and follow through on your most important business goals. No matter what industry you're in, business success starts with identifying short- and long-term goals. However, it can be tricky to figure out exactly how to set and achieve those objectives. To help, Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders share their goal-setting strategies and why these methods are effective. Follow their recommendations to help you refine your approach to achieving your business goals.

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The best way to negotiate is to ensure both parties win. Whether you’re attempting to settle on a price with an important client or trying to reach an agreement with a potential business partner, negotiation plays an important role in business. However, it isn't a skill that comes naturally to everyone, and some may struggle to find a balance between achieving what they want and ensuring the other party does too. Mastering the art of negotiation takes practice, but keeping the following tips in mind can help you improve your skills faster and achieve the best outcomes. Below, the business leaders of  Rolling Stone Culture Council draw on their years of experience closing deals to share their best advice on becoming a master negotiator, no matter your industry.

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Expressing gratitude is just one way a leader can show they care. One of the many jobs of an effective leader is to inspire and motivate their teams to put forth their best effort and do good work. However, inspiring and motivating are made much more difficult when you aren’t sure exactly what to say. What words will lead your team to solve problems? Find their creativity? Nurture relationships with clients?  According to the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council, it’s not necessarily about the exact words you say so much as their meaning and your genuine feelings behind them. From acknowledging employee contributions to offering more autonomy, your words and their intent can have a powerful impact on your employees and the way they work. Try out the following nine suggestions and see what you can inspire your team to do.

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Don’t let these blunders ruin your customer relationships. Poor customer service can have a big effect on a business’s ability to succeed. And while a smile and a helpful attitude can go a long way toward creating a positive experience for a customer, they aren’t the only aspects of customer service that need to be focused on. Whether it’s slow response times or even relying too heavily on customer self-help tools, there may be some practices you don’t even realize are hurting your relationships with your customers.  Pinpointing your company’s bad practices is essential if you want to improve your customer service efforts and, as a result, the overall happiness of your customers. To get started, consider this list of bad practices that could be derailing your company's customer service efforts, courtesy of Rolling Stone Culture Council business leaders.

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Experimenting with a new product or service shouldn’t come at the expense of your core business. It can be said that all businesses are in the business of making money. Regardless of what product they sell or what service they provide, all businesses need to make money in order to survive and, hopefully, thrive. But there’s another component businesses need in order to thrive, at least in the long term: innovation. If businesses don’t innovate or improve upon their current offerings, they may not ever grow or reach their true potential. However, innovation can be risky, as not all ideas will be profitable or accepted by customers. To find that balance between making money in order to survive and making room for innovation, business leaders should consider the following eight tips from the experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council. Here, they discuss the key to balancing innovation with the financial need to stick with what works, ensuring business leaders can still pay the bills.

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Your willingness to learn and grow has a major impact on your ability to win in business. The business world is full of ups and downs. One day you’re succeeding, and the next day you’re not. This can be especially true of the culture space, where trends can change daily and consumers’ opinions evolve equally as fast. Entrepreneurs who develop a growth mindset — or the belief that persistence and effort lead to success — are more likely to thrive in this type of environment, making it an essential trait to cultivate for culture space leaders. As leaders in the culture space themselves, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council know what it takes to succeed in today’s marketplace. Here, they discuss the top reasons why business leaders need a growth mindset and the impact that mindset has on their ability to lead well.

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Cut through the noise by amplifying your unique story. Today, it seems that nearly everyone is on social media — and that includes businesses. With the majority of small businesses using social media to reach their audience, there’s a lot of competition when it comes to earning the attention of potential customers. This is why it’s so vital to find a way to stand out and cut through the digital noise. However, beyond creating viral videos or following the latest social media trend, there are a number of other, more meaningful ways to set your business apart. Here, nine business leaders from Rolling Stone Culture Council weigh in on some of the steps a business can take to ensure their social media presence stands out from the competition and engages their followers in a meaningful way.

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To find success, cannabis leaders have to be creative and agile. The cannabis industry has experienced rapid growth over the past decade alone, and it’s only predicted to increase over time, with global sales predicted to hit $149 billion by 2031. This means there is abundant opportunity for those interested in dipping their toes in the cannabis space and the vast number of potential business ideas that can spawn from it.  However, perhaps the biggest challenge cannabis businesses face is the ongoing legal and regulatory obstacles that prevent these businesses from operating like any other business in the market. This means cannabis leaders must be cautious when planning and executing any strategy, whether that be advertising, sales or distribution and logistics.  As leaders in the culture space, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council are well-versed in the struggles of the cannabis industry, and here, they discuss some of the steps business leaders can take to overcome these hurdles and find success in a challenging business landscape.

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Be yourself and be curious, and the right people will find you. In business, who you know is everything. That means building real connections — ones you can count on, that go beyond surface-level acquaintances — should be a high priority for professionals looking to advance in their careers or business. However, just networking likely won’t get you the kind of relationships you’ll need to succeed. To build real connections, follow the 16 tips outlined by the culture and business experts of Rolling Stone Culture Council and see why being intentional about your relationships can propel you forward far faster than just networking alone.

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Leadership can be stressful, but these simple practices can help business leaders better manage their mental health.  Leading a company can be an exhilarating and fulfilling experience, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges and pressures. When you’re a business leader, maintaining good mental health is crucial for both personal well-being and effective decision-making.  To that end, 17 Rolling Stone Culture Council members explore some proven strategies business leaders can employ to manage their mental health amid the challenging demands of their roles. From regular exercise to setting boundaries to seeking support and fostering a positive work culture, these strategies can encourage a healthier and more resilient approach to leadership.